Kiev - World heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko deployed his size and weight in Ukrainian local politics Tuesday, leading a move to block what he called "illegal" operations of the Kiev City council.

Klitschko - the holder of belts from the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Organization and the International Boxing Organization - was at the head of a group of some 15 opposition councilmembers preventing the work of the City Council, physically blocking the majority of members from calling a Council meeting to order.

Ukrainian television showed images of the 2.01-metre-tall Klitschko in heated debate with council representatives loyal to Kiev Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky, a political opponent of Klitschko's.

Members of Klitschko's self-named political party, a pro-reform group currently holding a minority of the Kiev City Council's seats, intend to block the council's work at least until October 15, when new anti-corruption law takes effect, said Natalia Pavlova, a Klitschko spokeswoman, in telephone comments.

Under current law, Kiev's City Council, at present controlled by a pro-Chernovetsky bloc, may sell or transfer city-owned real estate to applicants by majority vote. Critics say it has often carried out these transactions at well below market prices.

A national reform law that comes into force October 16 will make open tenders mandatory for rent or purchase of city real estate. Klitschko charges that the council is trying to rush through property transfers before the law takes effect.

The docket of the Kiev City Council through Thursday is devoted almost entirely to votes on awards of city-owned businesses and factories to private companies, Ukrainian media have reported. This situation, according to Klitschko, sets the stage for a massive transfer of city real estate to private businessmen friendly with the Chernovetsky administration, before the reform law takes effect.

Chernovetsky has repeatedly denied wrongdoing within the city administration and accused Klitschko of employing populist tactics and undermining the Kiev city budget.

Chernovetsky's real estate policies last month sparked an international scandal when an opposition council member leaked to media a city plan to consider building a hotel across the street from the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial. Chernovetsky later called the row, drawing criticism from Jewish groups as far away as the US, a "misunderstanding."

Oleksander Dovhy, a Chernovetsky associate, called on Klitschko to remove the blockade and allow the city council to get on with its business, according to an Interfax news agency report.

Prevention of the work of the majority in a voting body by an upset minority - usually referred to as "blocking the tribune" - is a regular feature of Ukrainian democracy.

Ukraine's Parliament has failed to conduct much work in 2009 because of blocking tactics employed by the legislature's four main parties. (dpa)